Kaito's confidence surged the moment he felt the flood of buffs wash over him. Status effects stacked on his body like glowing runes, a dozen or more at once. Even a Knight of Light promoted three times over couldn't provide this many blessings at once.
Viscount Elrick wasn't just a simple knight. He had to be a Paladin.
With a Paladin of this level backing him up, Kaito felt like he could take on anyone monster or man. As long as he didn't get instantly killed, he had the confidence to keep fighting.
What gave him the most reassurance was the level ignoring aura. Against a level 45 Silver Boss, the natural level suppression was crippling. Normally, even his strongest strikes barely scratched the enemy. But this aura lessened the gap, allowing him to at least fight without feeling utterly useless.
Kaito still couldn't help but mutter under his breath. "But why are you pushing me in front, Lord Viscount? With your power, you could probably blow a little air and knock him flat…"
Elrick's sharp gaze told him otherwise. It was Kaito who had to act.
Fine. He would.
Kaito dashed forward, his body light and fierce, launching himself high into the air. He landed on the shoulder of a wounded guard at the church entrance, using the man like a springboard. Leaping again, he raised his sword overhead and activated his skill.
Weakpoint Strike!
The Solstice blade came down on Elder Faelion's head with a sharp crack.
-12!
The number floated mockingly above the demonized elder's head.
Kaito's heart sank. Even with all these buffs, his strike only shaved off twelve points. Worse, before he could even think of a follow-up, a green number popped above Faelion's head.
+12.
The demon's passive regeneration erased the damage instantly, as though Kaito's strike had never landed.
"Damn it…" Kaito grimaced and quickly backed off, sword raised defensively. Direct damage wouldn't work. Not until Genesis arrived. All he could do now was stall.
Kaito himself wasn't worried he had been through too many fights to panic over numbers. But the players who had followed him here weren't nearly as calm.
When they saw the silver boss icon glowing above Elder Faelion's head, their eyes lit up with greed.
"A silver boss in town!"
"Attack it! We'll get loot!"
They swarmed forward in a frenzy.
Arrows, fireballs, frost bolts, shadow daggers spells and projectiles flew from every direction. Skills activated in flashes of light, slamming into the demon. But every strike landed with the same pathetic result.
-1. -1. -1.
Mandatory chip damage.
Compared to Kaito's meager twelve, their blows barely tickled Faelion.
Melee fighters fared even worse. The front entrance of the church was already clogged with half-dead town guards trying to hold back the demon. Kaito had vaulted over them earlier, but there was no more space now. Too many people were packed in.
Some of the braver melee players tried to mimic Kaito's leap, hoping to vault over the guards and land inside. But with so many bodies jammed at the entrance, there wasn't enough room for a run-up. They stumbled, falling short, crashing into guards or allies instead.
The frustration was palpable. Everyone wanted to fight, but the space and level gap made it impossible.
Kaito smirked under his mask. "Go ahead, crowd in. Block yourselves. Everything that drops will still belong to me."
He wasn't even wearing the Mask of Nocturnis this time just a cheap cloth mask that cost a single silver coin at any vendor. It didn't hide his information from those with observation skills. Some of the smarter players had already identified him as Raen.
But so what? Only a handful knew, and none dared to say anything. If they offended him, they'd have to live with the consequences.
After all, this was his mission, his monster. They could tag along and deal their pitiful 1-point damage, but when the loot dropped, they had no claim.
A sudden commotion at the edge of the square caught his attention. Genesis had arrived.
At Kaito's signal, their melee fighters surged forward with military precision. Shields locked together, swords raised, they forced their way through the chaotic mob and secured the church entrance. Behind them, the ranged fighters spread out, unleashing volleys of coordinated spells and arrows from safe distance.
The difference was night and day. Where the random players had been a disorganized mob, Genesis moved like a single machine. The entrance stabilized almost instantly, with Genesis tanks holding the line while their damage dealers fired past the guards into Elder Faelion.
Still, Glory's system had its quirks. Unlike some virtual games, skills here didn't penetrate through bodies. Too many people crowding together meant half the ranged fighters couldn't even get a clean shot. Out of the dozens gathered, only about a ninety to hundred players at most were actually contributing damage to the boss.
The rest were simply clutter, clogging the area and lowering efficiency.
Kaito shook his head but felt relief settle over him as the fight steadied. "Good. The entrance is under control now."
The guards blocking Elder Faelion were buying precious time, and with Genesis holding the line, there was no risk of being overwhelmed.
And most importantly, this was South Glade Town. No PK was allowed inside town limits. No matter how crowded or chaotic it looked, no one could turn on each other.
That rule alone gave Kaito peace of mind. He adjusted his grip on his blade, eyes narrowing on Elder Faelion's towering form, and focused fully on the battle ahead.
The real fight was only just beginning.
But Kaito's thinking was wrong. This quest had been his from the very start. Elder Faelion being blocked at the church entrance wasn't a coincidence it was part of the system's design. The Glory main system had carefully arranged this as the plot for those who triggered the quest.
The guards standing in Faelion's way weren't just random NPCs; they were there to buy time. The system had already created the perfect opportunity for the player who discovered the spy. Whether that player could grasp it and claim the boss's extra rewards depended entirely on their own ability.
"Abyss is eternal!" Elder Faelion roared. His face twisted with fury as he saw the swarm of "ants" daring to challenge him. Raising his staff high, he slammed it down with terrifying force.
A surge of abyssal power exploded from him.
Feast of the Abyss!
Waves of black energy rippled out, covering everything in a 5x5 yard radius.
Damage instantly flooded the battlefield: 112% Abyssal damage struck every player and guard in range. But that wasn't all.
The black mist clung to their bodies like oil, sinking into their skin and bones.
Abyssal Corruption!
Every corrupted player felt their health start to drop 50 points gone every second, and the effect would last a full 30 seconds.
Kaito's eyes narrowed. An Abyss Shadow Priest skill!
He had read about it in his past life, and now he was experiencing it firsthand. Elder Faelion's magic wasn't something ordinary players could endure. And soon, everyone else on the battlefield felt the same crushing despair.
A blinding burst of white light shot up into the sky. Elder Faelion's attack landed with terrifying force, instantly killing seventeen or eighteen players on the spot. Their bodies collapsed into white light, leaving behind a scattered pile of equipment and items on the bloodstained ground.
"Damn it! How can anyone fight this thing?" someone shouted in despair.
But the fear didn't last long. Another voice rang out, loud and greedy, "No, don't back down! This is the first Silver Boss kill chance! If we take it, the first-kill reward alone will be worth everything!"
The crowd stirred again. Panic turned into chaos as players shoved and scrambled. Some rushed forward recklessly, their eyes locked on Elder Faelion, hungry for the first-kill credit. Others ignored the boss entirely, darting toward the glowing gear and items that the fallen players had just dropped.
The square outside the church erupted into madness.